Electric-railway system.



No. 759,241. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

G. L. GRAGG. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

J K [e l 1 I a e o lys'ses; Inventor:

, M f I mma ATIDIHEQS.

Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT FF ICE.

GEORGE L. CRAGG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BION J. ARNOLD, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,241, dated May 10,1904.

Application filed May 22, 1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. CRAGG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric-RailwaySystems, (Case No. 9,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electric-railway systems, and has for its objectthe provision of means whereby single-phase alternating current may beemployed in effecting travel of I5 electric-railway vehicles and wherebysinglephase alternating-eurrent supply-circuits may be extended alongthe line of travel to elfect the operation of vehicles.

As is well known, the most effective form of motor for the purpose oftransferring power and adapted for operation by singlephase alternatingcurrent is a motor which in itself is not capable of effectivelyoperating a vehicle at varying rates of speed, which are 5 required inactual practice when such motors have unchangeable-speed connection withthe running-gear, being a motor, such as a synchronous motor or alag-motor, having practically uniform rate of speed when most cf- 3fective. In other words, the motor which is best adapted for thetranslation of power furnished by single-phase supply-circuits is asingle-phase motor as distinguished from a split-phase motor. Polyphasemotors would furnish the necessary power, obviously; but such motorswould need to be supplied by polyphase distribution-circuits.

In practicing my invention '1 interpose a variable gear or speedconnection between the 4 motor and the running-gear and provide, incombination with such variable gear, a motor means whereby the motor maybe started, making thus a most effective combination which will adaptsingle-phase motors for use as traction-motors.

In my present invention I provide a supplemental split-phase motoradapted to receive out-of-phase currents supplied by the single-phasetrolley-circuit, which may be Serial No. 108,542. (No model.)

connected or associated with this trolley-cir cuit whenever thesingle-phase motor is to be brought to speed and which is dissociatedfrom the motor when the motor has reached a suflicient speed for itsunaided operation. I/Vhcn the single-phase motor is to be started, Ipreferably relieve it of operative connection with the vehiclerunning-gear to relieve the split-phase motor of the load of thesinglephase motor, so that the split-phase motor may readily bring thesingle-phase motor to speed. After. the single phase motor has beenbrought to the requisite speed it may then be coupled with the vehiclerunninggear, preferably by means of some suitable clutching mechanism.Any suitable form of variable gear may be interposed between thesingle-phase motor and the running-gear of the vehicle.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in 7 Which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the operatingmechanism upon a vehicle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a moregeneral view diagrammatically indicating a vehicle and elements of myinvention in place thereupon.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference in bothviews.

I have illustrated a source of single-phase alternating current a,connected with a supply-circuit whose mains 7) Z) are illustrated in theform of trolley-wires extending along the line of travel. The car orother vehicle 0 is provided with trolleys (Z d or other suitable meansof connection with the supply-circuit or equivalent means for receivingcurrent in any manner from the supply-circuit. These trolleys orequivalent devices are connected in circuit with a single-phase motor 0,provided upon the car, the motor in this particular instance being alag-motor, though I do not wish to be limited to a motor of this kind.The singlephase motor operates some suitable form of variable-speedgear, that illustrated comprising a pair of conesf and g, gearing it 95intervening between the cone f and the shaft of the motor 0, whilegearing 2' intervenes between the cone g and the running-gear 7c of thevehicle. The pinion upon the shaft or cone g is loose thereon and hassecured thereto one member of a clutch Z, the other member being splinedupon the said shaft, so that when the members of the clutch are out ofengagement the cone g may rotate without operating the gearing i; butwhen the clutch members are in engagement a rotation of the cone 9 willcause an operation of the gearing 2'. When the members of the clutch arelocked together, the speed of the gearing i, and consequently therunning-gear of the "ehicle,may vary with respect to the speed of themotor 0 and cone f by an adjustmentof the belt m toward or from the apexof a cone, which adjustment may be effected by a belt-shifter or. If thesingle-phase motor is to be started, the members of the clutch Z areseparated, so as to relieve the motor of load, whereupon the split-phasemotor 0 may be operated to bring the single-phase motor to proper speed.A switch p is provided for connecting the splitphase motor with thetrolley circuit, the switch 1) being located upon the vehicle andserving, preferably, conductively to close the conductors extending tothe trolley poles or contacts from the motor. The working circuits ofthe motor are connected with the two conductors extending to thetrolley-contacts, being in multiple with respect to each other, thecharacteristics of the working circuits of the motor being different,whereby the currents therein may be caused to be out of phase.

For this purpose one of the working circuits of the motor may have aspecially-provided phase-modifier q. It is desirable to open the workingcircuit of the singlephase motor when the split-phase motor is bringingthe single-phase motor to a sufficient speed, for which purpose a switch1* may be provided upon the vehicle. When the switch 1) has been closed,the switch 0" opened, and the gearing or other variable-speed connectionbetween the singlephase motor and the runninggear of the vehicle isbroken, the said single-phase motor may readily be brought to speed.

I have not deemed it essential to illustrate the details of constructionof the motors, as such construction will be apparent to any electricalengineer, nor do I wish to be limited to the mechanical featuresillustrated, as it is obvious that many changes may be made in theembodiment of the invention shown without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In an electric railway system, the combination witha source of single-phase current,

of a circuit supplied thereby extending along the line of travel, avehicle, an alternating-current single-phase motor carried by thevehicle, an electric motor carried upon the vehicle for starting thesingle-phase motor, a variablegear connection between the single-phasemotor and the running-gear of the vehicle, and means whereby the gearconnection between the single-phase motor and the running-gear of thevehicle may be broken, substantially as described.

2. In an electric-railway system, the combination with a source ofsingle-phase current, of a circuit supplied thereby extending along theline of travel, avehicle, an alternating-current single-phase motorcarried by the vehicle, an electric motor carried upon the vehicle forstarting the single-phase motor,and a variablespeed connection betweenthe single-phase motor and the running-gear of the vehicle,substantially as described.

3. In an electric-railway system, the combi. nation with a source ofsingle-phase current, of a circuit supplied thereby extending along theline of travel, a vehicle, an alternating-current single-phase motorcarried by the vehicle,

'a split-phase motor carried upon the vehicle for starting thesingle-phase motor, means whereby the split-phase motor may be chargedwith out-of-phase currents occasioned by the single-phase current in thesingle-phase supply-circuit, a variable-gear connection between thesingle-phase motor and the runninggear of the vehicle, and means wherebythe gear connection between the single-phase motor and the running-gearof the vehicle may be broken, substantially as described.

at. In an electric-railway system, the combination with a source ofsingle-phase current, of a circuit supplied thereby extending along theline of travel, a vehicle, an alternating-current single-phase motorcarried by the vehicle, a split-phase motor carried upon the vehicle forstarting the single-phase motor, means whereby the split-phase motor maybe charged with out-of-phase currents occasioned by the single-phasecurrent in the single-phase supply-circuit, and a variable-speedconnection between the single-phase motor and the running-gear of thevehicle, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 7th day of May, A.D. 1902.

GEORGE L. GRAGG.

Witnesses:

FLORENCE WIOKLIN, JOHN STAHR.

IIO

